9:20 pm, February 2, 2012
EURO NCAP crash tested 53 new car models in 2011 and has now revealed the cars which are best in class.
Eleven cars achieved four stars whilst Euro NCAP’s poorest result was achieved by Dacia Duster with three stars. To be selected the safest cars of their categories, the following vehicles achieved a five star rating and showed good scores in each of Euro NCAP’s four areas of assessment.
The small off-road 4×4 category was awarded to the Audi Q3; the supermini category to the Chevrolet Aveo; small family category went to the Ford Focus, while the Mercedes B Class was awarded the small MPV category, and the Volvo V60 went to the large family category.
The Nissan LEAF was the first of its kind to achieve Euro NCAP five-star overall rating, placing itself amongst this year’s best small family cars.
Euro NCAP rewarded several car makers for their advanced safety features not yet included in the rating scheme. The Ford Focus, offered with optional Active City Stop, Driver Alert Forward Alert and Lane Keeping Aid, made headlines as the first high volume car receiving four rewards. Top achievers Mercedes B Class and Volvo V60 also were rewarded for Collision Prevention Assist and City Safety respectively, both are Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems (AEB).
Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general says: ‘With Euro NCAP Advanced, we have already recognised a number of technologies offering safety benefits to consumers. The safety case for AEB systems is very strong and we are therefore strongly encouraging manufacturers to increase the availability of such systems on new cars. We are well underway to add the assessment of these systems to the overall rating and to make these systems a requirement for five stars in the future.’
In 2012, Euro NCAP introduces stricter standards by increasing the minimum score in the pedestrian assessment from 40 per cent to 60 per cent.
